Grayson, Sarjeant and Cyrus speak out on shock dismissals at St Augustine and St Benedict’s

The former St Augustine Secondary coaching duo of Michael Grayson and Desiree Sarjeant and ex-St Benedict’s College coach Dexter Cyrus have spoken out on their controversial dismissals, as the upcoming Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) season looks set to kick off with some drastic changes in the technical areas.

In January 2016, Grayson and Sarjeant were named among the top coaches in the SSFL’s history—only five coaches managed more than Grayson’s five national titles while Sarjeant’s six titles are bettered by just two coaches.

In Cyrus’ case, he led St Benedict’s College to a second place finish behind the all-conquering Naparima College last year, while the southern school were beaten finalists in the 2014 National Intercol competition when they also scooped up the South Zone Intercol title.

“I was called in at the end of last season (and) complimented by the principal,” Cyrus told Wired868. “She told me she liked the work and she hoped to see an improvement next season. And an improvement on second place would mean that we had to come first.”

So what went wrong thereafter?

Cyrus claimed an extraordinary bust-up during last year’s Premier Division campaign and the scheming of his managerial staff led to his dismissal, some months later in mid-March.

Photo: Petrotrin Palo Seco coach Dexter Cyrus makes a point during halftime in CNG National Super League Premiership Division action against Matura ReUnited at the Matura Recreation Ground on 14 January 2016.(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)

On October 17, a St Benedict’s substitute refused to fetch a ball during a fixture against Presentation College (San Fernando) at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella. And pandemonium was not far behind.

“Our manager Mr Ravi Ramgoolam asked a player to go for a ball but the player refused,” said Cyrus. “About three weeks before that, we went through this issue with a student going for a ball where I told them that players cannot leave the bench and be walking and running out the stadium going for balls in their kit… We had a meeting with the boys and we told them that nobody will have to ball boy again.

“So when I’m ready to send the player on now, I told him to warm up. The manager then turns and tells me that the player is not going to be involved in the game because he refused to go for a ball. I told the kid I’m the coach, go and warm up.

“Unknown to me, when the player is getting himself organised, Mr Ramgoolam tells him before you go on that field you have to apologise.”

The player, Mickel Holder, issued an apology and went on to the field. But the forward, who suffers from asthma, quickly returned to the sideline for some water.

Photo: St Benedict’s College attacker Marlon Phillip (right) tries to find a way through the Fatima College defence during 2015 SSFL action.(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

Holder’s teammates, who were supposedly acting on instructions given by another manger, Nolan Bernard, refused to give it to him. Cyrus was further incensed.

“I said Mr Bernard how could you refuse to give water to the player with an asthmatic condition, yuh know he have to keep that throat wet,” said Cyrus. “I say suppose he drop down and dead. The manager then says ‘boy Cyrus let him f**king dead’.”

The game finished in a goalless draw and, in the dressing room, Holder let loose as he accused the team management of leaving him for dead.

“The player came out of the bathroom and said that’s why fellahs from Benedict’s does leave and go ‘Pres’ and ‘Naps’ because how allyuh does treat them,” said Cyrus. “Mr Bernard leave from by the sink and went across to the lockers and hit the player a right flushers, knock him down, and then turned him around to hit (him) again.”

The players and remaining staff allegedly subdued Bernard before he could cause any further harm. At least two other Benedict’s members, including former assistant coach Brian Jordan, corroborated the chain of events to Wired868.

“Presentation’s assistant coach Dunstan Williams and I commiserated at the end of the game, and he said ‘Brian, I could not believe what I was hearing’ (with regards to the player being refused water),” Jordan told Wired868. “The game is done eh. Dunstan and I are in the tunnel talking as friends would do. Then this boy comes out in a towel crying… so I immediately cut the conversation.

“I head into the dressing room and I see Cyrus being held back. He then tells me that Bernard slapped (Holder).”

With three Premier Division games to go and the Intercol campaign yet to come, Cyrus and his staff opted against taking the matter to principal Anne Gomes-Phillips.

“The general consensus was that we would let the kids finish off the season because we were in third place,” Cyrus said. “We were thinking that it had a big four, and we didn’t want to disrupt what was going on because we wanted to make top four. We said we will deal with it afterwards…

“Yeah I regret (not going to the principal earlier) because I was thinking that these men would have done the honourable thing. But these men do not have an honourable bone in their bodies.”

Photo: St Benedict’s College supporters cheer their team on in the 2014 National Intercol final at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Days after Cyrus’ end of season meeting with Gomes-Phillips, his assistant Jordan and physio Adaryll John, said they would not work with the football team’s management again and quit

“Me now, caught between a rock and a hard place, I had to make an advance to the principal and tell her that my coaching staff decided that they didn’t want to work with this management anymore,” said Cyrus. “I went to a Benedict’s Old Boys meeting and expressed to them what I was about to do. That would have been the Thursday.”

Some six days after meeting with the Past Students’ body, Cyrus was summoned by principal Gomes-Phillips. He believes that the team managers got wind of his plan and took pre-emptive measures.

“The manager, assistant manager and coordinator, the three of them, they said they find I does come training late,” Cyrus told Wired868. “I said you all agreed for me to come 4.30 because I finish work 4 o’clock. The training session starts 3.30, my assistant coach is never absent and he’s always on time.

“I come in and I do the main part of the session, and it works like clockwork. So I don’t know how that could have been a problem.”

Cyrus was fired mere months after Gomes-Phillips’s congratulations. The former striker maintains that he was wrongfully dismissed on the back of false accusations by the management staff.

“It holds no water because that is what they told me to do,” he said. “It’s five years now I’ve been doing it. That’s what we agreed on in front.”

Wired868 was reliably informed that the issue surrounding Holder and Bernard was resolved following a meeting with both parties along with principal Gomes-Phillips and Holder’s father. It is uncertain whether Bernard was punished for his alleged behaviour on October 17.

When contacted for a comment, principal Gomes-Phillips said the matter was closed and she would like to leave it as is.

Bernard and Ramgoolam were also tight-lipped. Bernard said that the incident had been resolved while Ramgoolam said he did not have the authority to comment.

Photo: St Benedict’s College goalkeeper Jabari Gray dives in vain after an effort from Fatima College attacker Sebastien Camacho, during a 2015 SSFL contest.The shot crept just wide.(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

“At the end of the day I have nothing against the school,” said Cyrus. “I think what the St Benedict’s management did was one of the most underhanded and deceitful things I have faced. But then again these things make you stronger and you get to learn.

“The blind was leading the blind-folded in the staff.”

Elsewhere in east Trinidad, St Augustine Secondary footballers lost not one, not two, but a total of four coaches, as the axe fell at the “Green Machine” last month.

Grayson was summarily fired after a season in which he copped the East Zone Intercol title and led the Green Machine to the semifinals of the National Intercol tournament—they were ousted by eventual winners, Naparima, after being asked to play twice in the space of three days.

St Augustine also managed a credible fifth place finish in the 15-team Premier Division table.

The last of Grayson’s five national titles at St Augustine was the 2013 National Intercol competition when his team included a quarter of the subsequent Trinidad and Tobago National Under-20 Team: Aikim Andrews, Akeem Garcia, Maurice Ford, Ricardo John and Shannon Gomez.

Photo: Trinidad and Tobago right back Shannon Gomez (right) battles for possession against Cuba during the 2014 Under-20 Caribbean Cup.(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)

Andrews, Garcia and Gomez all represented the “Soca Warriors” in friendly action last year while Gomez, the former Under-20 captain, is currently on loan at United States MLS club New York City FC.

But the grooming of national players and a healthy trophy room was not enough to save Grayson’s job at Augustine. The veteran coach, who previously led Arima Senior Comprehensive during its own era of dominance, said he remains dumb-founded by the events.

Even before he was formally dismissed, Grayson was told that former Trinity East College coach Adrian Romain already announced the job as his.

“People who are rationale thinking still can’t understand what happened, it eh adding up at all,” said Grayson.

Romain denied suggestions that he undermined Grayson to take his post.

Last season, Romain endured a winless spell in the 2015 SSFL Premier Division season before being axed as head coach there, in the first half of the season. Trinity East were eventually relegated after one win from 14 games.

At the same time, St Augustine Secondary won the East Zone Intercol title.

Yet, Romain insisted that St Augustine contacted him to offer him the job; and not the other way around. He said he had just returned home from a successful stint in an India youth competition—the Badhani Premier League—and was committed to heading back to India.

“When I returned home I saw an e-mail from St Augustine stating that they will like to meet with me on the job,” said Romain. “I was hired around April the 20th as the Technical Director in charge of all football duties at the institution.

“Lemme just clear up the air a bit. I have a lot of respect for Michael Grayson and Desiree Sarjeant. I actually look up to both individuals because I’m still a young coach, I’m only 27 years.

“I have never gone behind anyone’s back to take his job. Actually, I was settled on returning to India to continue my contract. I have no control over this situation when it comes to the firing of the former coaching regime.

“My first question was: Will they be re-hired? And it all came down to qualifications in terms of CXC passes.”

Photo: St Augustine Secondary coach Michael Grayson (standing) tries to console defensive midfielder Ainsworth Grant, after their 2-1 loss to Naparima College in the 2015 National Intercol final at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium.Grayson has been replaced by Adrian Romain for the 2016 season.(Courtesy Chevaughn Christopher/Wired868)

Grayson, who has a university degree, easily met the Ministry of Education’s academic requirement stipulation, which insists that all school staff must have three passes. But he was fired anyway without an explanation. Sarjeant didn’t meet the criteria and it was used to explain her dismissal.

“For whatever discipline you’d like to coach, you must have three CXC passes, and one must be English,” said the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Officer for Physical Education, Veronica Dolan-Samuel. “The principal must write to us requesting the services. Also he/se must send photocopies of your certificates, endorsing and certifying that he/she has seen the original.”

And according to Dolan-Samuel, the academic criterion was first established in 2005, but endured a five year grace period. Now, it appears to be firing on all cylinders.

Schools can still pay their coaches via various fund-raising mechanisms. But, unfortunately for Sergeant and company, that possibility was overlooked in this scenario.

Francis declined comment on the firing of her two coaches.

Sarjeant, a former Trinidad and Tobago international player and ex-St Augustine student, said she was disillusioned by the entire ordeal.

“There was no real prior consultation, we did not see this coming at all,” Sergeant said. “I know I can say openly that I am very gutted by this all. It really did put its toll on me for a little while but it is what it is.

“I think it’s a principal’s choice to keep a coach on. I could have three passes and she (can still) say I’m not going to renew your contract.”

Sarjeant is proud of her time with the Green Machine, although hurt at the way it was ended.

“I have been at St Augustine since 1998,” said Sarjeant. “I’m also the first and only female to have won six national titles (as only Stephen Smart from Malick and Arnold Murphy from Debe managed more).

“In 2013, I won every title that was up for grabs and I repeated the same feat again in 2014. So today it still bothers me, I felt as though my entire inside was taken out of me and thrown in front of a bus.

“Coaching at school football is what I am known for, it is my passion, it is what I live, it is what I breathe… It is good to see that you can develop young ladies, not only as footballers, but as young women.”

Sarjeant, who is also the coach of 2015 TT WoLF champions St Augustine FC, hopes another opportunity becomes available soon.

“I don’t know how many schools are aware that ‘coach Des’ is no longer at St Augustine Secondary,” she said. “I hope something comes around because coaching at this level is really my passion. I am gutted yes, but at the end of the day when one door closes, another one opens.

“And I can only hope that door opens sooner rather than later.”

The St Augustine and St Benedict’s benches may look strange this season without Cyrus, Grayson and Sarjeant.

Former “Strike Squad” star Leonson Lewis has taken over the reigns at St Benedict’s while Romain is in charge of the entire football programme at St Augustine.

Romain refused to name Sergeant’s successor just yet. But he said he was excited by the challenge of replacing Grayson and hoped to leave his own legacy at St Augustine.

“This is school football, and I think in Trinidad we focus on what is in it for the coaches and we forget the kids,” said Romain, who said he admired the school protests for the fired coaches. “My plan at St Augustine is to continue the program that Grayson left and to get more kids on academic scholarships as well as football scholarships…

“I can’t wait to start. I’m replacing Grayson or Sir Alex as I call him, so I’m excited. It’s going to be a challenge but nothing in life comes easy.”

Editor’s Note: New St Augustine Secondary coach Adrian Romain insisted that was only offered the post after the dismissal of former veteran coach Michael Grayson, who was released on 14 April 2016. The following Facebook post appeared to contradict that.

Photo: Facebook post from one of Adrian Romain’s account.Photo: Post from another of Adrian Romain’s Facebook account.

About Roneil Walcott

Roneil Walcott is an avid sports fan and freelance reporter with a BA in Mass Communication from COSTAATT. Roneil is a former Harvard and St Mary's College cricketer who once had lofty aspirations of bringing joy to sport fans with the West Indies team. Now, his mission is to keep them on the edge of their seats with sharp commentary from off the playing field.

In the case of Coach Grayson, if it can be proven that he was removed based on false allegations/libel, he too can press the Ministry to find answers. He already has all the qualifications and some for the job.

Dexter Cyrus deserves to be fired but not for the reasons he was fired. Cyrus put football ahead of the interest of a student athlete who was assaulted by a member of his staff. Not only should he have reported the incident immediately to the principal, the police should have been called in and the manager arrested for assault. And we question why there’s a breakdown in discipline among our youth. If adults who are responsible for the safety and education of our kids when we send them to school could ignore the assault on one of them, what lesson are we teaching those kids who we so cavalierly call monsters and hyenas?

The St. Augustine situation may be somewhat tricky. However, the Benedict’s case is cut and dry. It is a report of assault and battery on a student by a school representative/administrator. Cyrus has strong grounds to argue on.

Brian Jordan Look at that. If the correct procedures were followed, it could have saved a lot of kids being assaulted. We have got to rid ourselves of that mentality where we protect certain people in the society at the expense of others. Violence breeds violence.

And now i live in regret that i didnt handle it that way, mainly because when i spoke out everything was already swept under the carpet concerning the kid, and a plan to fire me and move on was already afoot, i should have taken the bull by the horn……….. sometimes tough decisions are to be made…….. tightrope.

Dexter Cyrus We all make mistakes. Life is a learning curve and you have already begun your approach. You have publicly acknowledged your mistake. I hope you have apologized to the kid and his family. Then it’s time to move on and be the better person I see you can be. I hope you get other opportunities to prove yourself. Good luck.

Wow….I’ve been following this thread with various degrees of amusement and sadness…but Dexter Cyrus….considering how this thread was going, that was an absolutely massive response from you. True maturity…like d youths day dese days…big man ting!

At least here, you get to answer questions directly. Nobody is hiding to discuss this in the shadows.
Since Desiree Sarjeant was dismissed because she didn’t have her three passes. Do you have three passes Courtney Romain or Adrian Romain?
I’d recommend that if you have any doubt that what you say might be again proven false in the near future, you shouldn’t answer.

Hmmm well I can say categorically that we at Trinity never received any documentation of qualifications (academic or coaching) from Adrian although it was requested. We really dropped the ball on that one and should have ensured that he carried the qualifications that he claimed. I hope that St. Augustine is not making the same fundamental mistakes that Trinity East made through my negligence

Dexter Cyrus deserves to be fired but not for the reasons he was fired. Cyrus put football ahead of the interest of a student athlete who was assaulted by a member of his staff. Not only should he have reported the incident immediately to the principal, the police should have been called in and the manager arrested for assault. And we question why there’s a breakdown in discipline among our youth. If adults who are responsible for the safety and education of our kids when we send them to school could ignore the assault on one of them, what lesson are we teaching those kids who we so cavalierly call monsters and hyenas?

Yes Dexter Cyrus, accepting you erred is “Big Man ting”. Use it as learning tool. As coaches, we sometime lose sight of why we do what we do, especially when we have young men and women under our charge. Know that, more than results on the field, our primary responsibility is to make successful men and women.

Brian Jordan I agree with Junior Noel, though I must admit I am unfamiliar with the procedures regarding secondary school sports dismissals. Are they considered staff, those who are not teacher/coach? Did they sign an agreement which allowed the school without reason to remove them? There are many questions to be answered.

In the case of Coach Grayson, if it can be proven that he was removed based on false allegations/libel, he too can press the Ministry to find answers. He already has all the qualifications and some for the job.

You should be in gymnastics pal…you are great at flipping and somersaulting…another Dick on the prowl…taking peoples places in what dick called “Cut throat time!” ok ok like Dick you are just an “innocent victim” in the Principal’s agenda ok…I get it..hmmmm

I’m as disappointed as you are Dexter Cyrus but I don’t want to say he do anything illegal or criminal. Unethical, absolutely but I don’t know that he did anything illegal. I want to make sure we don’t cross that line…..

Courtney you have taken on the shape or either a pretzel or the local gelabi you sure twist and turned yourself into knots…like play dough they real work you up in different shapes easily… Ok Pretzel Man carry on smartly…

So lemme get this str8, we find out Adrian lieing…… and he delete his comments on the thread…… thats what alyuh saying here Lasana, well Raoul hear ah cuss d principal and ah was dishonest in Lebanon and then suddenly remember i didnt play anywhere, when what actually happened wasssssss…… i did not and will never cuss ah Principal, Prosper played in Lebanon and i played in Portugal. So ah guess the Romain’s are just staying true to form, at least they showing consistency…..with lies……… no shaaaaaammmmeeeee
Wickednessssssssssssss
Decietfulllllllllllll
If u get ah email and jump een Grayson wokkkkkkkkk in 2 weeks, right there i know we dealing with ah criminal.
And behaving as though uuh want other Coaches to take that and move onnnn…… alyuh kill lil chirren and cook dey heart…….. selling snowcone in hellllllllll….
Cut Jesus slippers and then realise it cah fit yuh……. living in ah volcano and find it still making coldddddd…..
The day yuh write common entrance, the whole country fail and u alone passssss, yuh well bright……….. 2 stinking weeeeeeeks…
2 stinking weeeeeeeks
Well at least yuh come in ah close second to Benedicts management, nothing cah beat Benedicts Management, but that is another story by itself……… 2 weeks Adrian and u run and take Grayson wokkkkk without standing up fuh d man…………. ah rellllllllllll disappointed in yuh Adrian

Like the man went to the same school and was exposed to the same technical training that the gymnastic people went to bro. Just like they did stuff was deleted from the thread here. He or admin only ppl who could remove it. I think after he realized he tied himself up and the evidence is/was there for all to see he just bailed out. Well that’s spineless

All credibility and integrity gone. We are all adults here and wanting the same thing. If he was speaking the truth about the timeline of events it would have been easy for anyone to see…that just isn’t the truth. That level of blatant dishonesty is extremely dangerous around young children

Brent Bennett unlike some folks here I have control if I stayed here to read the views of persons that is none entity to me I would have said something out of the way to deactivating and starting a new day is what I did …thanks for understanding

Brent Bennett was preparing myself to move away from this whole article so I decided to deactivate and restart again so I am here .i have nothing to hide I have no regrets and I make no apologies to the folks who things differently I have realized most people think that they can sit and banter people but everyone have their time ….

Deleting the posts is not a good look. Right or wrong it has a stench attached to it. I’ve got nothing personal against you and perhaps these discussions may make you stronger. You have your reasons and people have a right to question them. At the end of the day you know the truth.

Same here I am a young man and I happy Trinidad and Tobago is getting this way I hope it stays this way and standing up for people goes straight across the board I am not worried about the issues that some has brought up because I know who I am and soon the truth will be told ..

I am always on wired 868 a lot of people have told me I shouldn’t be answering you all but I don’t care I am part of wired for a reason and when I see things relating to my name I have to question it might not be accurate for the journalist but I can only give the info I know I have lived by I don’t need to pretend or lie for a job that I wasn’t even focussed on …

dem boy really dont understand the power of a WIRED forum…. dem really think is normal trinis on WIRED backroom staff…lol… just because we doh say doh mean we doh know… pick and choose your battles carefully gentlemen…. that is all

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